We need minigames!

[Salvadoreno]

I know this is probably impossible now, but as im sitting here patrolling at 256x the downtime of a sub-commander has gotten to me. I wish i had something to do regarding my boat, i.e test procedures, measuring stars, reading handbooks and radio logs, etc. etc... There just isnt enuff to do. Sure when my watch yells boat spotted or convoy spotted im occupied with manuvering and procedures for about 1-2, or 3-4 hours realtime depending on contact. but something seems missing. I hope in SHIV they address this issue, i.e (manual navigation with no direct position on a "game map", or reading procedures for American subs in pacific, etc.. Im sure more creative minds can think of minigames). Even walking throughout the interior of a sub would opccupy me for a good 20-30 minutes just because i like to admire things. So far the only thing that keeps me going thru these patrols is reading books about subs or "pretending" we are having a test dive or some deck gun practice. Anyway just thought i'd throw that out there in hopes a developer might see this.

[THE_MASK]

Well maybe if every gauge on the sub was clickable and useable you could check they were working . If we had an engine compartment you could look after the running of the diesels . If the enigma worked we could decode messages . If i could get to the batteries i could check on those . Lets hope some of these make it to SH4 . The only thing i can think of too improve SH3 is maybe via the editor you could add a zone to every grid and have a message when you reached the zone giving you something too read . I dont know how long a message could be (can it include pictures) .

[Syxx_Killer]

Sometimes I play tic-tac-toe on the nav map using the ruler and compass. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but most of the time it is a cat's game. :oops: :stare: Sometimes I try to draw pictures with the tools. My latest attempt was a car, but that didn't turn out too well. :88)

[vodkajello]

"Damn it Sven, stop doodling on the nav map! I can't see where our course is!"

[flyingdane]

Yah like cards or chess aginst the Ai would be cool, Those long patrols get kinda dull. :hmm: :yep:

[Salvadoreno]

oOOoO CARDS or CHess is a great idea! That would be an awesome minigame! The Kapitan plays all the way to the champion which may be the Chief or some1 else. And then maybe sometime during the patrol a challanger would come along and u must hold the title. haha that would be awesome! Checks on compartments and their functionality would be great too!

[flyingdane]

Well it would for sure help pass the time during those long patroles. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/flyingdane/schla03.gif

[clive bradbury]

What's to stop you plotting course manually on a print-out map? I used to regularly with SH2.

[Salvadoreno]

I mean taking star shots, navigational fixes, drifting in storms, etc.etc.

[don1reed]

I play SHIII in windows mode so I also load FreeCell or cribbage or Chessmaster 10 in the background...or read a book.

[Heibges]

I made the suggestion they should have a virtual Uboat Commanders Handbook in the captains cabin.

An utilities for Chess, Hearts, Spades, and Ppoker would be pretty cheap.

[Salvadoreno]

I made the suggestion they should have a virtual Uboat Commanders Handbook in the captains cabin.

An utilities for Chess, Hearts, Spades, and Ppoker would be pretty cheap.

agreed. Something we can within the parameters of the game. Of course there is tons of stuff to do when its minimized, but i usually miss out on a contact or two.

[don1reed]

SHIII doesn't minimize in the windows mode. It stays the same size, albeit a skosh smaller than fullscreen, but just enough border of desktop is visible to get at important stuff. However, other activities (card/chess games) can be layered on top of the SHIII focus, still playing x1 in the background. Just a mouse click away when that "Cap't to the bridge" call comes through.

[don1reed]

...almost forgot, Salvadoreno...

Are you familiar with the Universal Plotting Sheet? VPOS?

Here's a free DL http://www.cs.yorku.ca/~amana/personal/navigation/plottingSheet.pdf

A lot of times to sneak by the doldrums of ZZZZZZ, I'd convert Kriegsmarine grids to Lat/Long and plot my course on the VPOS ....talk about a drunkards path...

It's a great way to beat the boredom.

Rgds,

[spork542]

I wish we could do that too. It's a shame. Traveling at 1024x does seem to get sort of boring. :-?

[don1reed]

It's not that difficult. Go here for a free DL of the MQK converter:
http://web.telia.com/~u51008935/converter.html

...then all that left is use a compass or pair of dividers on the VPOS to place Lat/Long coords and each day, around noon, post your position.

However, instead of dragging and dropping a course....just use the boat's compass to sail a course...now you'll begin to see what set 'n drift and storms will do to your station keeping....it'll keep you busy for a bit.

cheers,

[Payoff]

Random breakdowns and O&M would add tons to the realism / boredom while on patrol. Not SHII style breakdowns with one engine always going bad, but completely random minor breakdowns throughout the ship.

[Loaf]

Regarding occupying oneself during patrols...

When playing the old SHI, I used to read a book while running my search legs... The problem with SHIII is that you do not always get a verbal report of an incident. You might get say a convoy intercept report (which still leaves the time compression at 8X rather than real-time) and if you are reading you will miss your chance to alter course and intercept.

This issue must really annoy the real-time lunat... I mean, players!

[fxn]

I would like to be able to do things like crash drive drills, instruments malfunctioning, calibrating deck- and AA-guns, more interactions with crew members.

Just to make those long boring patrols a bit more exciting. :|\

[Rosencrantz]

Yep!

Minigames (Chess is must have!), breakdowns, manual navigation, radio messages, ORIG. documents to read (full commanders hand book, not much asked and gives a lot of depth into game!) and some more crew and friendly ship interaction!

Off topic, but one thing I would like to see in SHIV is weather reports coming from HQ so I know whatkind of weather I can expect in next few days.

:up:

-RC-

[ruskoz]

I would like to see the ability to have failures that require attention...bearing need replaced, batteries need checked, dials sticking. leaks should be harder to fix then clicking on a square. It would be cool if you had to run through the sub to find the tools you need.

Another thing im sure was mentioned, as the sub command you should go to your bunk and get some sleep and when something of importance happens you get waked up to deal with the issue at hand. This would give you a feel for handing the helm over to your number 2.

just my 2 cents!

[Salvadoreno]

That sleep issue would be cool, it could waste maybe 3-4 hours while u nap. And if anything of real importance happens, you wake up at 1x time compression and get the information you need. I sure do hope SHIV has those system malfunctions/crew interactions/minigames/sub interiors/navigational options (manual,automatic)/reading materials and commander handbooks. All that stuff would just be perfect.

[SubSerpent]

I always thought that it would be cool to have a sub-simulator with a 'third person' or 'first person' perspective throughout the entire U-boat or submarine. Using the arrow keys or WASD to walk about the U-boat or Submarine and use the mouse when close enough to a certain object to 'activate' it (ie. Using the periscope), which would automatically zoom the players perspective into 'first person'. EVERYTHING in the u-boat or submarine could more or less be 'activated'.

The next thing would be to add more to the game by adding more things for the player to do. Showering, Sitting down and eating, Communicating with the crew via chat interface.

OPTIONS are vital. What I mean is that the game world needs to have no bounds. I want to be able to come to all stop in southern tropical waters and let my crew take a dip (swim call) to boost their morale. I want to be able to make up the menu of food for the week that the cooks are to serve onboard. If rations are tight I want to be able to limit how much food each crewman gets. I could treat my officers and punish my seaman by putting Officers on 3/3 meal rations per day, but put my enlisted crew on 1/3 rations per day. This would of course have consequences on different factors and could cause the enlistedmen to work harder to get more rations per day or cause them to become more fatigued. This could have benefits though. Now I can stay out to sea for a longer periods but I run risk of having a worthlessly weak and starved crew or a mutiny (which would be the end of the career).

I want the ability to walk around port of calls and to allow crewmen to go out and enjoy a night out on the town. This would have determining factors to it as well. Crew morale would get a HUGE boost, but then I run the risk of having a crewman missing ships movement (AWOL). This could be limited to a rule list. If I want my crew to have a night on the town but I don't want to run the risk of losing any of them I could select 'Watch Level II'. If I want my crew to enjoy their time out in town and run a risk of possibly losing one I select 'Watch Level !'. If I want and need a HUGE morale boost and I am willing to risk loosing a crewmen to several crewmen I select 'No Watch'.

'Watch Level' would represent the control you want to hold over you crew while they are out having a good time. More control means less morale boost. Less control means more morale boost but running the risk of crewmen going AWOL (Absent without offical leave). This could be because they got too drunk to remember to come back to the ship on time or they got into a a nasty bar fight and ended up in the hospital. Regardless, they would be lost forever until returning back to home port and pulling new recruits from boot camp.


All in all, this would be a U-boat simulator similar to the 'Seadogs' or 'Pirates of the Carribean' game but based on the Captain of a U-boat or US Submarine during WWII and with lots more to manage during patrols. Crew members would be more 'ALIVE' than ever before and interact more with the Captain ( the player). If the food is too rotten they will let the Captain know, if they haven't been able to bath for a week or more they will let you know. Fights among crewman could break out and the Captain (player) would have to decide whether to punish or forgive the involved. You could put them up on bridge lookout for a full day with no sleep and nothing to eat for a punishment, but run the risk that they fall asleep on duty and miss possible visual contacts. You could decide then whether to have them executed on the spot for insubordination during a time of war or take them to a courtsmartial once returned to home port.

I think something like this would add so much more to a U-boat or submarine simulator since in essence you always play the Captain. In real life Captains had to and still do have to deal with ALL these issues on top of staying in line with the mission. There is a fine balance between being a dictator and a man of reserve with that much power that you have to deal with.

[Salvadoreno]

I always thought that it would be cool to have a sub-simulator with a 'third person' or 'first person' perspective throughout the entire U-boat or submarine. Using the arrow keys or WASD to walk about the U-boat or Submarine and use the mouse when close enough to a certain object to 'activate' it (ie. Using the periscope), which would automatically zoom the players perspective into 'first person'. EVERYTHING in the u-boat or submarine could more or less be 'activated'.

The next thing would be to add more to the game by adding more things for the player to do. Showering, Sitting down and eating, Communicating with the crew via chat interface.

OPTIONS are vital. What I mean is that the game world needs to have no bounds. I want to be able to come to all stop in southern tropical waters and let my crew take a dip (swim call) to boost their morale. I want to be able to make up the menu of food for the week that the cooks are to serve onboard. If rations are tight I want to be able to limit how much food each crewman gets. I could treat my officers and punish my seaman by putting Officers on 3/3 meal rations per day, but put my enlisted crew on 1/3 rations per day. This would of course have consequences on different factors and could cause the enlistedmen to work harder to get more rations per day or cause them to become more fatigued. This could have benefits though. Now I can stay out to sea for a longer periods but I run risk of having a worthlessly weak and starved crew or a mutiny (which would be the end of the career).

I want the ability to walk around port of calls and to allow crewmen to go out and enjoy a night out on the town. This would have determining factors to it as well. Crew morale would get a HUGE boost, but then I run the risk of having a crewman missing ships movement (AWOL). This could be limited to a rule list. If I want my crew to have a night on the town but I don't want to run the risk of losing any of them I could select 'Watch Level II'. If I want my crew to enjoy their time out in town and run a risk of possibly losing one I select 'Watch Level !'. If I want and need a HUGE morale boost and I am willing to risk loosing a crewmen to several crewmen I select 'No Watch'.

'Watch Level' would represent the control you want to hold over you crew while they are out having a good time. More control means less morale boost. Less control means more morale boost but running the risk of crewmen going AWOL (Absent without offical leave). This could be because they got too drunk to remember to come back to the ship on time or they got into a a nasty bar fight and ended up in the hospital. Regardless, they would be lost forever until returning back to home port and pulling new recruits from boot camp.


All in all, this would be a U-boat simulator similar to the 'Seadogs' or 'Pirates of the Carribean' game but based on the Captain of a U-boat or US Submarine during WWII and with lots more to manage during patrols. Crew members would be more 'ALIVE' than ever before and interact more with the Captain ( the player). If the food is too rotten they will let the Captain know, if they haven't been able to bath for a week or more they will let you know. Fights among crewman could break out and the Captain (player) would have to decide whether to punish or forgive the involved. You could put them up on bridge lookout for a full day with no sleep and nothing to eat for a punishment, but run the risk that they fall asleep on duty and miss possible visual contacts. You could decide then whether to have them executed on the spot for insubordination during a time of war or take them to a courtsmartial once returned to home port.

I think something like this would add so much more to a U-boat or submarine simulator since in essence you always play the Captain. In real life Captains had to and still do have to deal with ALL these issues on top of staying in line with the mission. There is a fine balance between being a dictator and a man of reserve with that much power that you have to deal with.

LOL that all sounds superb, but we gotta think in terms of developers and time. I dont think any developer would create a game like that even if they did have time. If we became schooled developers and game creaters im sure realistic junkies like us would create such a game, but until then..eh..

[MENTAT]

Subserpent i completely agree with you. That was very nice to put it that way. I read every line of it in an extreme excitement.

I have been travelling among the posts quite some time and i found out that, these are the wish of most of us now. SHIV must add some features, strategic elements besides simulation characteristics of the game. (Since most of the time, you spend your time en-route)

And surely a Captain must know each an every single of his man by his name, stats and abilities. The features you asked will achieve this certainly.

[CB..]

definitely like the chess option or even draughts--or there was actually a ww2 STUKA ATTACK game that was somtimes played on subs--
anyway

they could have had a field day if they had modelled the officers eating area-- even if only for two or three hours a day--

had chess card games etc--or even converstations with the officers--simple enough to do --they have been doing these sorts of conversations ever since the first games appeared---wouldn't hurt to have these things in a sub-sim--wouldn't need anything new or radical it's all as old as the hills-